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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Bangkok Britons appeal for help | Bangkok Britons appeal for help |
| (about 8 hours later) | |
| Thai police confront anti-government protesters in BangkokBritish travellers left stranded by anti-government airport protests in Bangkok say they feel abandoned and isolated with little prospect of getting home soon. | Thai police confront anti-government protesters in BangkokBritish travellers left stranded by anti-government airport protests in Bangkok say they feel abandoned and isolated with little prospect of getting home soon. |
| Members of one group of Britons caught up in events have been talking to the BBC about their plight and the knock-on effect on their lives back home. | Members of one group of Britons caught up in events have been talking to the BBC about their plight and the knock-on effect on their lives back home. |
| JANE HEROD, ANAESTHETIST Paediatric anaesthetist Jane Herod fears operations may be cancelled | |
| The specialist paediatric anaesthetist was due to fly home from her holiday on Friday but has been told to expect delays of up to three weeks. | The specialist paediatric anaesthetist was due to fly home from her holiday on Friday but has been told to expect delays of up to three weeks. |
| She now fears operations for some of her child patients may have to be cancelled. | She now fears operations for some of her child patients may have to be cancelled. |
| The 41-year-old, who has worked in London at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children for seven years, has a list of operations to get through and says she has no idea how she will get home. | The 41-year-old, who has worked in London at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children for seven years, has a list of operations to get through and says she has no idea how she will get home. |
| "We feel quite stranded... it's very frustrating," she said. | "We feel quite stranded... it's very frustrating," she said. |
| "The specialist neurosurgery list is difficult to cover at very short notice... if I'm not there someone else will have to come in at short notice and you put extra pressure on your work colleagues. | "The specialist neurosurgery list is difficult to cover at very short notice... if I'm not there someone else will have to come in at short notice and you put extra pressure on your work colleagues. |
| "It will be very tight for everyone else and there is a possibility the operating lists may be cancelled." | "It will be very tight for everyone else and there is a possibility the operating lists may be cancelled." |
| Dr Herod was due to administer general anaesthetic to children with leukaemia who are due to have chemotherapy on Tuesday and treat babies with cleft lips and palates on Thursday. | Dr Herod was due to administer general anaesthetic to children with leukaemia who are due to have chemotherapy on Tuesday and treat babies with cleft lips and palates on Thursday. |
| If we have to switch flights that could be thousands of pounds. I have no idea if our tickets are still valid Dr Jane Herod Thai police confront protesters | If we have to switch flights that could be thousands of pounds. I have no idea if our tickets are still valid Dr Jane Herod Thai police confront protesters |
| "It's a great inconvenience. The hospital has a very large catchment area and families put their lives on hold to bring their children to hospital," she said. | "It's a great inconvenience. The hospital has a very large catchment area and families put their lives on hold to bring their children to hospital," she said. |
| "If it [an operation] gets cancelled at short notice, it's very difficult for them." | "If it [an operation] gets cancelled at short notice, it's very difficult for them." |
| Dr Herod, from Highgate in north London, is living in a hotel in Siem Reap in Cambodia with 15 others. | Dr Herod, from Highgate in north London, is living in a hotel in Siem Reap in Cambodia with 15 others. |
| She was in Cambodia, having travelled through Laos from north Thailand, when she first found out via the BBC World Service about the demonstrations . | She was in Cambodia, having travelled through Laos from north Thailand, when she first found out via the BBC World Service about the demonstrations . |
| The Foreign Office has advised her group not to go to Bangkok airport and she said there is a two-week waiting list to fly to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. | The Foreign Office has advised her group not to go to Bangkok airport and she said there is a two-week waiting list to fly to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. |
| She also said their travel insurance is likely to be invalid because policies do not usually cover civil unrest. | She also said their travel insurance is likely to be invalid because policies do not usually cover civil unrest. |
| "Our travel company has not been the most forthcoming... we're funding everything, we're out of pocket," she said. | "Our travel company has not been the most forthcoming... we're funding everything, we're out of pocket," she said. |
| "If we have to switch flights that could be thousands of pounds. I have no idea if our tickets are still valid." | "If we have to switch flights that could be thousands of pounds. I have no idea if our tickets are still valid." |
| ROSEANNE MEACHER, INTENSIVE CARE DOCTOR The lack of information is the hardest thing, says Dr Meacher | |
| The 43-year-old doctor, who helps runs the intensive care unit at London's Charing Cross Hospital, is part of the same group stranded in Cambodia. | The 43-year-old doctor, who helps runs the intensive care unit at London's Charing Cross Hospital, is part of the same group stranded in Cambodia. |
| She said her job at the busy 24-hour unit will be covered by her colleagues and patients will be looked after, but it will put intense pressure on them. | She said her job at the busy 24-hour unit will be covered by her colleagues and patients will be looked after, but it will put intense pressure on them. |
| "You can't expect your colleagues to cover indefinitely, it could be weeks," she said. | "You can't expect your colleagues to cover indefinitely, it could be weeks," she said. |
| "No shifts will be uncovered, but my colleagues will have to work in blocks and be on call constantly. | "No shifts will be uncovered, but my colleagues will have to work in blocks and be on call constantly. |
| The terrible events in Mumbai have pushed Bangkok down the agenda Dr Roseanne Meacher | The terrible events in Mumbai have pushed Bangkok down the agenda Dr Roseanne Meacher |
| "They will get exhausted and things will become more stressful and the possibility of errors will go up." | "They will get exhausted and things will become more stressful and the possibility of errors will go up." |
| Dr Meacher, from Shepherd's Bush in west London, said the hardest thing is the uncertainty and lack of information. | Dr Meacher, from Shepherd's Bush in west London, said the hardest thing is the uncertainty and lack of information. |
| "The terrible events in Mumbai have pushed Bangkok down the agenda. Getting through to the airlines is virtually impossible and we've just been told to hang on and wait by the travel company," she said. | "The terrible events in Mumbai have pushed Bangkok down the agenda. Getting through to the airlines is virtually impossible and we've just been told to hang on and wait by the travel company," she said. |
| "We have no idea when we will get out of here and there is a possibility we could be chucked out of the hotel. | "We have no idea when we will get out of here and there is a possibility we could be chucked out of the hotel. |
| "Every morning they let us know if there are rooms or not." | "Every morning they let us know if there are rooms or not." |
| Dr Meacher first found out about the protests on Wednesday through the BBC World Service and says she is getting most of her information from the internet. | Dr Meacher first found out about the protests on Wednesday through the BBC World Service and says she is getting most of her information from the internet. |
| She has managed to speak to her mother back home but says there is a virtual information black-out. | She has managed to speak to her mother back home but says there is a virtual information black-out. |
| TOM HOVELL, IT CONSULTANT We took our own initiative, says IT consultant Tom Hovell | |
| The 29-year-old from central London said he is on unpaid leave from Monday. | The 29-year-old from central London said he is on unpaid leave from Monday. |
| "There are a number of people who have become very upset. This has caused a lot of stress to themselves and family members back home," he said. | "There are a number of people who have become very upset. This has caused a lot of stress to themselves and family members back home," he said. |
| "It's the lack of knowing and the financial fear... you look on the internet and see the cost of a flight in the £2,000 bracket." | "It's the lack of knowing and the financial fear... you look on the internet and see the cost of a flight in the £2,000 bracket." |
| We got fed up with the lack of information and decided to look for a way home ourselves Tom Hovell | We got fed up with the lack of information and decided to look for a way home ourselves Tom Hovell |
| He said a Foreign Office official told him the next available flight out of Bangkok and the surrounding area will probably not be until 23 December. | He said a Foreign Office official told him the next available flight out of Bangkok and the surrounding area will probably not be until 23 December. |
| But he and 15 of the group of 16 have made their own arrangements to drive to Bangkok where they have been told they can get on a flight out of a military airport. | But he and 15 of the group of 16 have made their own arrangements to drive to Bangkok where they have been told they can get on a flight out of a military airport. |
| The 16th member of the group has arranged to fly home via Kuala Lumpur. | The 16th member of the group has arranged to fly home via Kuala Lumpur. |
| "We got fed up with the lack of information and decided to look for a way home ourselves," he said. | "We got fed up with the lack of information and decided to look for a way home ourselves," he said. |
| "If we hadn't sorted this out ourselves, we'd still be waiting." | "If we hadn't sorted this out ourselves, we'd still be waiting." |
| Mr Hovell says he hopes his backpacker insurance covers the costs of the hotels and extra travel - but he is not sure. | Mr Hovell says he hopes his backpacker insurance covers the costs of the hotels and extra travel - but he is not sure. |